I am so grateful that we have been blessed with so many healing herbs and plants... and especially the calming herbs... for last week I sure needed a cup of strong calming tea!  Yes, I had just gone through one of those incidents that greatly increased my need to de-stress.  Allow me to elaborate.

Have you ever received a ride in a police car or a fire engine with the siren blasting loudly, thus announcing its critical mission and warning other vehicles to make way?  Well, I didn't exactly get a ride in a police car nor a fire engine. It was my own car that suddenly, right in the middle of the city, during a very heavy rain, unleashed its alarm and began to blast so loud it was about to deafen me.

At first I did not conceive it was my own little bright aqua-blue Mitsubishi that was bellowing.  I thought it was someone else's car.  So, I quickly tried to maneuver away from the noise, but when it kept persistently following me, I figured it was my own vehicle that was making such a racket. 

Goodness, it just did not shut up!  It kept roaring.  I drove as fast as the allowed speed-limit in the city...well, a wee bit faster...to my car repairers.  They were not able to assist me, except forwarding me to quite another section to a guy they believed was qualified to succor this damsel in distress.  Once again I took off with the blasting alarm, loudly announcing to everyone my approach. 

It was the worst to stand behind the traffic lights, waiting for the green to appear – everyone was looking at me.  Some cars were removing themselves from my track.  If I ever desired to call for attention – this certainly was the way to do it.  I even passed two police patrols, but I guess they could not pinpoint which car was causing the disturbance as there was nothing else abnormal – Mitsubishi’s lights were not blinking nor was I driving crazy.  So at least I was not stopped by law.  Though my vivid imagination automatically went to work, trying to picture the police questioning me in a sign language…as there was no way I could have heard their voices. 

To keep sane in this hullabaloo I stuffed my ears with some cotton, on top of which I squeezed earplugs in order to listen to some calming music...obviously, in a very loud voice. To top it all off, I got lost...which is not that uncommon when it comes to me.  I had to make three phone-calls to be able to locate the private car repairers.  Each time I made a call, I had to stop the car, jump out and run to a distance from my blasting vehicle where I could actually hear something.  Sure enough, I was the center of attention every time. 

When I finally found the place, thanks be to God, the man was able to silence my car in less than 5 minutes.  Some wires had got tangled that shouldn't have, bringing about the terrible racket...but this is technical stuff that I cannot understand nor explain.

So, I guess You understand my gratefulness and relief to get back home and de-stress with a lovely cup  of calming tea... in a calming bath.  Aaahhhh... it works, You know!

Herbal Stress Relievers

Do you have stress in your life?  If left untreated, stress can be a serious health hazard that affects both mental and physical wellbeing.  Excessive stress robs the body of nutrients, harms the cardiovascular system, and lowers the effectiveness of the immune system.

Psychologically, stress can induce depression, anxiety, anger, fear, and other negative patterns.  How well do you deal with stress?  What can you do?

Thomas Stearns Lee, NMD, suggests the use of herbs that can reduce or even eliminate some of the negative effects of stress.  He says that some herbs are the best treatment for physical ailments, while others work better for psychological problems.  Although he suggests that we manage our emotions and learn to master our reactions to stress in order to really "cure" stress, in the meanwhile, herbs can definitely help.  Here are some very useful tips from dr.Lee:

If you are under pressure and you feel your heart racing while your breathing becomes more rapid, you may feel better quickly with the use of Hawthorne berries and Linden flowers in capsules or as teas.

If the stress affects your digestive system, try Chamomile or Peppermint. 

For tight shoulders, use Valerian, which will also help with occasional insomnia. 

Feverfew and Willow bark will help with tension headaches and stress-related migraines. 

If your nervous system has been stretched to the limit, use Oats.  As a food or in the form of oatstraw tea, oats will nourish the nervous system.

Herbs that will help the body achieve balance are said to have adaptogenic properties.  For example, Ginseng can help strengthen the body's systems for handling stress.  The result is that you can train up to handle stress better next time, while a stimulant only gets you over a hurdle for the short term.

No amount of medicine is going to make the stress events different in our lives, but we can usually handle the physical effects of stress better with the intelligent use of herbs.

If these tips don't work well enough to help in your particular pressure-cooker of a life, dr. Lee suggests we work with an experienced Naturopathic Physician to get things understood and changed for the better.  A good Magnesium and Vitamin B supplement might help too.

Modern science is validating our older natural medicines as being just as effective today, and they usually turn out to be safer than modern drugs.  Head your problems off with gentle natural medicines before they rob you and your family of a good quality of life.

Essential Oils that Help Relieve Stress

In her book Aromatherapy Solutions, Veronica Sibley suggests the following essential oils to use against stress and its various forms:

Angelica ( Angelica archangelica) to relieve fatigue, migraines, nervous stress, health problems caused by stress;

Benzoe (Styrax bezoin) for mild depression and sadness, to calm and lift the spirits;

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) for migraines, neuralgia, stressed out nervous system;

Galban (Ferula galbaniflua) to relieve stress;

Greipfruit (Citrus paradisi) to relieve depression and lift the spirits;

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) to alleviate nervous exhaustion;

Jasmin (Jasminum Grandiflorum) to relieve depression, lift the spirits, balance emotions, increase self-confidence;

Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) to relieve anxiety and depression;

Majoram (sweet) (Origanum majorana) to calm, alleviate muscle spasms, migraines and pain;

Milfoil (yarrow) (Achillea millefolium) to relieve insomnia, high blood pressure and problems caused by stress;

Pine (Pinus sylvestris) for nervous exhaustion and fatigue;

Neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara) to increase self-confidence and self-respect, to relax and efficiently relieve mental and emotional stress;

Sandalwood (Santalum album) to enjoy calm and deep meditation, to relax, to relieve depression, stress and fear;

Tangerine (Citrus reticulata) for nervous stress;

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) to relieve insomnia, migraines, unrest and nervous stress;

Warning: when You buy essential oils, make sure they are pure, preferably organic and not synthetic.  Many over-the-counter essential oils are synthetic and may cause more health problems than benefits. 

How to use: Place one or two drops of the chosen essential oil on the palm of Your hands and inhale.  You can rub the oil into Your wrists and into the soles of Your feet.  The oil will travel in seconds to other parts of Your body, causing the calming effect.

For a calming bath, mix about 10 drops of the essential oil in milk (as essential oils do not mix with water), pour into Your bath water... enjoy.

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Many blessings & success to You,